I do the unpleasant tasks before I do the pleasant ones.

People who refuse to accept unpleasant truths have no right to complain about politicians who lie to them. What other kind of candidates would such people elect?

Kipps was unprepared for the unpleasant truth; that the path of social advancement is and must be strewn with broken friendships.

There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.

People don’t like to think, if one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant.

If the enemy is to be coerced, you must put him in a situation that is even more unpleasant than the sacrifice you call on him to make. The hardships of the situation must not be merely transient – at least not in appearance. Otherwise, the enemy would not give in, but would wait for things to improve.

Of pain, you could wish only one thing: that it should stop. Nothing in the world was so bad as physical pain.

No taxes can be devised which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant.